XC90 hybrid is portly but frugal – and agile on ice

Hybrid electric SUV accounts for almost 20 per cent of XC90 sales in Canada

by
Brian Harper | February 2, 2017

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ÅRE, Sweden – It might not be rocketing off the showroom floor like Toyota’s Priuses, but Volvo’s first hybrid vehicle is starting to get traction among those shopping the premium crossover segment. The Swedish automaker sold 2,951 XC90s in 2016, of which 542 (18.4 per cent) were of the T8 plug-in variant. While both versions are fitted with a 2.0-litre, supercharged and turbocharged four-cylinder engine — which puts out 316 horsepower — the T8 PHEV comes with an 87-hp rear-mounted electric motor, plus a 46-hp electric motor that sits between the four-cylinder and the XC90’s eight-speed automatic transmission. When everything kicks in when it’s supposed to — which isn’t all at once — total system horsepower is 400.

In Power driving mode, maximum performance is ensured with a retuning of the steering, brakes, electronic stability control, stop/start and active (engine) sound control. Acceleration to 100 km/h for the 2,295-kilogram rig is, according to Volvo, about 5.6 seconds.

Volvo XC90 T8 R-design

Conversely, in Pure/Eco mode, the T8 can achieve an electric-only range of about 30 kilometres. In this electric mode, the T8, unlike the T6, operates in rear-wheel drive until traction is compromised. (For those anticipating more updated Volvos, the all-new XC60 will be equipped with T8 technology when it launches late this year as a 2018 model.)

While the bulk of our attention was spent with the new V90 Cross Country crossover alternative, we did manage to get the XC90 T8 out on the road and, more importantly, out on the ice, to find out how this portly beast handled low-traction surfaces. The short answer is quite adroitly, something like the hippo ballerinas from Disney’s Fantasia. Yes, there were studded tires, a necessity in wintertime Sweden, but otherwise the T8 was quite controllable negotiating the slalom courses. Okay, not as tossable as the compact-sized V40 Cross Country (unavailable in Canada now; we’ll have to wait about two years for the next-generation model) but, whether its safety nannies were engaged or disabled (much more fun), it proved itself a winter warrior.

The 2017 T8 PHEV comes in trim levels R-Design and Inscription. The R-Design MSRP is $77,650. Inscription carries a sticker of $79,250.